Condensers are used in laboratory and industrial settings in order to extract liquid from a gas mixture. Typically, a condenser is employed for condensing vapor from a mixture of condensable and noncondensable gases. In this manner a gas mixture can be broken up into various components. For instance, a gas mixture may contain water in the form of steam along with a certain amount of a noncondensable gas. A condenser may be used in order to convert the steam in the gas mixture into liquid water that can then be drained from the condenser. The resulting noncondensable gas that is in a purer form without the associated steam can then be used for a desired purpose.
Condensers generally include coils through which cold water is pumped. Heat transfer occurs when a warm gas mixture is passed over the cooler coils to result in condensation of one or more of the elements in the gas mixture. The condensation can be collected at the bottom of the condenser while the noncondensable gas is transferred through the top of the condenser to a desired location.
A technician may increase or decrease the flow rate and/or temperature of water that is pumped through the coils if a different rate of condensation is desired. In some instances these types of modifications may not be possible or suitable to attain a desired condensation rate. As an alternative solution, the condenser itself may be replaced with a different condenser that is configured differently in order to render a different rate of condensation. This approach may also be problematic in that the condenser must be disconnected from associated equipment. Replacement of the condenser results in an expenditure of time and effort and requires that the replacement condenser have fittings that are compatible with the associated equipment.
Accordingly, there remains room for variation and improvement within the art.